


Bang!

by PeopleOfThePit



Category: In a Heartbeat (Short Film)
Genre: (but not very detailed but hey just in case), (idk if that's the right term I'm sorry if it's not), Abusive Parents, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Blood and Gore, Childhood Memories, Childhood Trauma, Drinking, F/M, Heavy Drinking, I'm Bad At Tagging, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Jonathan is not okay, Jonathan's dad is a dick, Jonathan/OC but it's in the past now, Murder-Suicide, No Sherwin sorry y'all, Past Abuse, Past Character Death, Past Child Abuse, Smoking, gun use, it's currently 1:19 am ho shit, unintentional murder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-13
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2019-09-17 11:52:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16974120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeopleOfThePit/pseuds/PeopleOfThePit
Summary: It's Drama, and Jonathan's class has always started with games as a warmup before doing anything else. Unfortunately, a certain game triggers Jonathan to dig up dusted memories from the dirt as they attack him full force.All Jonathan could do now, is revisit them.





	Bang!

**Author's Note:**

> For the sake of anyone's mental health please read the tags thank you.
> 
> THIS A PREQUEL/PERSENT FIC TO KITCHEN FORK (it's not fully required to read Kitchen Fork but it's recommend)
> 
> I'm accepting criticism to improve my work so any feedback will be helpful. ^^
> 
> Written by Birb

TW: Death, unintentional murder, blood & gore (not detailed),gun use, PTSD?, Parents arguing, parents hitting each other

 

Jonathan was in his drama class when his teacher decided that warm-up games are needed to start the day, how exciting. Jonathan liked most of the games they played so far, atoms, fruit salad, musical chairs, and much much more. Right now the class was taking suggestions for the next game, Mafia was one suggestion but Jonathan thought it was too long, Change If was another but they did that last class.

“Can we please play Bang?”

Many of his classmates agreed as Jonathan tensed up at the mention of the game, Bang was simple, everyone stands in a circle and a person is picked to be in the middle to point as a person and say “Bang”, that person ducks as the two people who were beside that person have to say “Bang” the quickest, whoever said it last loses. That's the game, that's what the game his, however even if Jonathan could to say no to the game in the moment he couldn't, he couldn’t talk, couldn't move, the room was spinning he felt trapped he-

“Alright everyone stack you chairs because we're going to play Split Screen after this!”

Jonathan's Drama teacher, Mrs.Harrison announced as everyone is the class was excited as they picked up the place for stacking their chairs, all except Jonathan who was glued in place. We didn't want to move as old memories he repressed lovingly decided to resurface and give him a trip down memory lane.

“Jonathan stack your chair please!”

Jonathan was brought back into reality as Mrs.Harrison reminding him what do as the boy got out of his chair and picked it up, walking over to the corner that held the already stacked chairs, avoiding bumping into any of his classmate in the progress as he added his chair to the pile. By now most of his classmates were in a circle as Jonathan paused but walked over to Mrs.Harrison, rubbing the back of his neck where small circular scars littered the right side as he paused his action and shoved his hands into his pockets instead.

“H-Hey”

“Hi!”

“Can I sit out for Bang? I-I just, really don't like how you're, supposed to play it”

Could Jonathan be any more awkward? Who knows? He could have worded his sentence to be more clear but somehow Mrs. Harrison understood fully as she smiled at Jonathan.

“Just for Bang, you have to participate in Split-screen ok?”

“That's fine, thanks”

Mrs.Harrison nodded and turned her focus to the class as Jonathan walked the wall where all the book bags were placed as he spotted his bag instantly, students were allowed to add small trinkets or anything that's appropriate and can be detached if needed. Some had bandanas, some had pins, keychains the list goes on. Jonathan had a homemade keychain with a pink heart that Sherwin made, he wore it with pride and didn't care if his friends teased him about it, there was another keychain attached to the existing one that was not added long ago, a dove a small reminder to remember in Romans honor.

Jonathan sat against the wall as he rummaged through his bag to pull out a book, “the outsiders by S.E Hinton” was the title, he loved it, he read it twice already in the span of a week, even one of the characters was named Johnny and some physical similarities to him also, same for... other similarities about his homelife, heh.

What are the odds? 

The boy opened to the last chapter he was on and began to read, the thing is….He couldn't, he couldn't focus on the linked pages before him, his mind kept pulling and pulling him back to Bang, he desperately tried to erase that thought but alas, it fully resurfaced as it took over his mind.  
.  
.  
.

They were fighting again, every week, day, night, every second. But this night was different, it started out like any other fight they had, disagreements turned to them bickering, bickering then turned to yelling, and yelling turned into screaming, screaming turned into pushing and shoving and pushing and shoving turned to Jonathan's father hitting his mother as he kept yelling at her. It was Christmas Eve too, the house was decorated to be the definition of Christmas spirit, the faint scent of gingerbread, Christmas light the whole shebang. Jonathan was peeking around the corner, watching the entire thing with shock but a familiar feeling of numbness as he watched. His father flipped the table that held the milk and cookies for Santa, or well himself now that Jonathan knew Santa wasn't real, and for a boy his age he pieced out pretty quickly that his mom or dad drink and eat the milk and cooks to give the illusion that Santa Claus visited, such a pity.

That was four weeks ago, and as the days passed Jonathan got more and more worried about his father, his father had never hit his mother before, let alone punish her, never. He smoked three a day instead of two once a week, he drank bottle of vodka instead half a glass of wine, Jonathan's glad but sad that his father didn't get drunk easily, he was his old self again instead of the hardened shell that surrounded him today. Jonathan got so worried that one day he decided to check up on his father see how he's doing and all.

Jonathan's hand tranced the railway of the stairs as he made his way down, Jonathan soon saw his father sitting yet slouching on the couch with an open bottle of whatever alcohol he was drinking, the same blue eyes Jonathan inherited from him looked blankly at the ground, Jonathan swallowed.

“Dad?”

It only came out as a whisper as Jonathan's father didn't move an inch, Jonathan was sweating as he took a step forward.

“Dad”

Jonathan's father looked up and gave Jonathan a smile that the Jonathan in the present wanted to oh so forget. It was forced, it was fake, smiling through the pain. His eyes where full of pain yet empty, the usual determination amd authority that reflected off of them was gone for once, and the dark circles under his eyes were the final touch as it framed his face.

“Hey, there soldier.”

Soldier… Jonathan had quite the temper when he was younger, he still does. He would fight anyone and anything other than his family, he was tough yet a good person deep down. His father nicknamed him soldier because of that reason.

“Can you come closer, Jonny?”

Jonathan hesitated but trusted his father as he walked over to his father as his father sat up to be sitting straight up instead of slouching, his hands still clasped together.

“Sit down will ya?”

Jonathan sat down on right father's left side as the man ruffled the boy's hair, that made Jonathan smile despite the tension in the atmosphere. 

“Jonny, can I ask a favor from you?”

Jonathan nodded his head as his father exhaled through his nose and looked away. He shifted a little bit as he now held a pistol in his right hand. Jonathan tensed up as he then furrowed his brows in confusion in fear, his father simply chuckled.

“It's a toy don't worry Jon, not even loaded.”

His father paused but continued after a few seconds of silence.

“You wanna play Bang Soldier?

Jonathan hesitated, but once again ignored the feeling in his gut as he nodded, he had no choice anyway unless he wanted another cigar burn for disobeying orders as his punsihmnt. Jonathan loved to play Bang, it was a game he played all the time with his family and friends, quick, simple, and easy to do.

“Good, good before we start though, this a special game of Bang alright? Were using toy guns instead of our fingers, you know how to use a toy gun right?”

Jonathan nodded, one of his cisions had a toy gen and taught Jonathan how to use it all the time, all in good fun, so he knew how.

“That's great, you really are a soldier”

Jonathan's father got up as he handed Jonathan the pistol, the toy firearm felt much smoother than the previous plastic like toy guns he touched or played with. Jonathan didn't dwell on that detail as he followed his father to a clear spot in the living room. Jonathan paused as he realized something was missing.

“Can- M-May I say something?”

‘Go ahead.”

Jonathan swallowed but composed himself.

“I’m not trying to-.. To object.. Objectify? Objectify you, sorry, but why don’t you have a gun?”

Jonathan's father turned around with a smug look that made Jonathan shiver for his father sparing him this once..

“Mines invisible”

Jonathan paused but felt somewhat betrayed but mostly afraid that he wasn't given the invisible gun, Jonathan stayed silent, not wanting to anger his father.

“I know what your thinking, But trust me Soldier, that gun is much stronger than this gun.”

Jonathan's father held out his hand like he was gripping a gun as Jonathan's suspicion spiked, but died down. As he turned around, facing the wall. He could slightly feel his father's back against his as adrenaline slowly started to pulse through his body.

“On my count,from one until I say bang, alright?”

Jonathan nodded and gave a small noise of agreement as he was oh so ready to win this special game of Bang.

“One.”

Jonathan took his first step

“Two.”

The blue-eyed boy focused on his father's voice.

“Three.”

Halfway there.

“Four.”

Jonathan was shaking from adrenaline by now.

“...Bang-”

“BANG!”

Jonathan swiftly turned around and pulled the trigger, only to stumble a couple feet back from the sheer volume of the pistol as he hit the ground. Jonathan was so shocked that he just stood there for a moment, and looked down to so his father on the ground a pool of red liquid started to leak from his head.

He didn't remember exactly what happened after that. It was a jumble of screaming, court trials, therapy that didn't even make sense, moving out of that house, and a cover-up for how Jonathan's father really died.

Jonathan was eight years old then, turning in a couple of months...  
.  
.  
.

“BANG!”  
“Bang!”

Jonathan jerked out of his trance almost screamed but let out a small gasp he was brought back into reality as two kids yelled bang which sent a shiver down Jonathan's spin as they laughed, how could they laugh at this. You don't fucking laugh when somebody gets fucking shot that sick! That's absolutely disgusting that's...Jonathan looked at his fellow classmates and accidently locked eyes with Becka, one of Jonathan's ex's but somewhat friend. Who seemed to be watching Jonathan for however long, consern and a little bit of fear reflected off her black eyes. Jonathan suddenly broke eye contact and grabbed his book bag and got up, getting out of the drama room as quickly as possible.

The boy with blue eyes couldn't be in that room right now he just… He just couldn't!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I have a lot more IAHB related fics that I'll share later on! :>


End file.
